Office of the Commissioner

The Office of the Commissioner is responsible for providing the Commissioner and members of the Senior Executive with strategic advice, executive support and legal counsel. The Office comprises: the Policy Unit, the Strategic Development Unit, the Cultural Advisory Unit, the Organisational Improvement Unit, the Office of the QPS Solicitor, the Cabinet Legislation and Liaison Officer and the Executive Services Unit.

The Policy Unit provides strategic policy advice to the Commissioner, and ensures that policy development is coordinated across the Service. The Unit has a leading role in identifying current and emerging issues, and in providing advice on the Service’s response to these issues. The Policy Unit provides support to members of the Senior Executive attending State and national forums, including the Australasian Police Ministers' Council, the Police Commissioners' Conference and the Chief Executive Officers' Steering Committee. In addition, the Unit is responsible for managing a number of statutory accountability requirements, including developing Budget Papers and producing the QPS Annual Report. It is also responsible for overseeing the implementation of the Volunteers in Policing program.

The Strategic Development Unit performs a number of functions, including: developing the QPS Strategic Plan and the QPS Capital Investment Strategic Plan; assisting Regions/Commands/Divisions to develop environmental scans and strategic and operational plans; conducting the Statewide Activity Survey (SWAS) to determine how police personnel spend their time; conducting a biennial Crime Victim Survey to determine the satisfaction of victims of crime with the services provided to them by police; developing and implementing a Client Service Charter and Client Service Standards; and producing Quarterly and Annual Output Reports which document the performance of the Service across a range of indicators.

The Cultural Advisory Unit is responsible for maintaining effective relationships between members of the Service and ethnic and indigenous communities. The Unit ensures that all relevant policies and procedures are in accordance with the State’s Multicultural Queensland Policy. The Cultural Advisory Unit has a management role in the Queensland Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Police (QATSIP) officers program, and is responsible for overseeing and progressing the QPS Cross-Cultural Liaison Officer and Police Liaison Officer programs.

The Organisational Improvement Unit is responsible for improving management and supervision within the Service. It plays a leading role in coordinating the development of new policies and enhancing the process of continuous improvement across the Service. The Unit is responsible for coordinating the Commissioner’s recent initiative, the Operational Performance Review (OPR).

The Cabinet Legislation & Liaison Officer assists the Cabinet Secretariat in ensuring the effective functioning and operations of the Cabinet, Executive Council, legislative and parliamentary systems.

The Executive Services Unit manages the preparation of correspondence and briefings for the Minister and Premier and provides secretarial and administrative support to various Service forums, including the Board of Management and Senior Executive Conference. In addition, the Unit carries out the administrative function for the co-ordination of material for various national conferences attended by the Commissioner and Minister, and co-ordinates the preparation of out-of-session communications between these bodies and the Service. The Unit is also responsible for administering honours and awards which officially recognise meritorious service, achievements and acts of bravery by Service personnel, and assistance to police and courageous acts by members of the community.

The Office of the QPS Solicitor assists the Commissioner and the Senior Executive of the Queensland Police Service with high-quality, cost-effective advice and legal representation before Courts and Tribunals on:

• Legal matters other than those that are the responsibility of Legal Services Branch; and
• Risk management issues and strategies to minimise legal action against the organisation and its employees.

The Office was created in response to the commitment by the Commissioner and the Senior Executive of the QPS to develop cost effective risk management strategies to reduce the involvement of the organisation and its employees in unnecessary civil litigation, and to perform an education role within the organisation and with its employees about the potential civil consequences of actions taken in the course of their employment.

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